Well now, that was a sprightly little thing. Not the greatest story ever told, but very effective character-driven storytelling to introduce us to our new companion!
Harry -
After the wild action ride of "The Dalek Invasion of Earth", this two-part quickie lets us all catch our breath. It's a nice little bridge between the Susan and Vicki eras.
Sarah -
It’s a nice little palate cleanser, isn’t it? We begin with the TARDIS landing, but cut quickly to the view of a crashed ship. In the ship, we meet Vicki – V-I-C-K-I – and could she be more adorable? Well, no, of course she could not!
Harry -
I agree. She's fab!
Sarah -
She’s cute, spunky, adorable and enthusiastic, with a great sense of style.
Harry -
And fab!
Sarah -
Very fab! Unfortunately, the only other human around seems to be a major crank named Bennett and we know we don’t like him! (That being the Royal We and all…)
Harry -
There's something about Bennett that rubs us the wrong way immediately. You can almost see the cloud hanging over his head.
Sarah -
Vicki is excited because it seems their rescue ship has landed.
Harry -
If someone was coming to take me away from Bennett, I'd be excited too!
Sarah -
Bennett warns her to watch out for Koquillion, but we haven’t met Koquillion yet.
Harry -
Seriously, this guy projects "ulterior motives" like nobody's business.
Sarah -
Meanwhile, back at the TARDIS, the Doctor seems to have slept through the landing. Barbara and Ian wake him and he’s sleepy and flustered, which leads to one of Hartnell’s most charming scenes yet. I just wanted to hug him when Barbara tells him that the trembling has stopped and he responds “My Dear, I’m so glad you’re feeling better.”
Harry -
That was comedy gold!
Sarah -
Barbara’s solicitude when he starts to give Susan a direction to open the door is so sweet. As a bonus, she finally gets to learn how to open the door. And then the Doctor is all charming again when he reminds Barbara and Ian that he can hear everything they’re saying!
Harry -
The old fellow will be fine. Look at his one-on-one moments with Vicki in the ship -- he's already assuming the mantle of grandfatherly protector.
As for Bennett, our suspicions prove true. The guy is warped! My favourite moment of the story is the Doctor's confrontation with "Koquillion" in the Didonian Hall of Judgement. The production crew managed to make the space look vast and mysterious. I love the quick cut from the close up of the Doctor as he calls out Bennett, to Bennett emerging from the darkness behind the Doctor. The end is rapidly approaching for one of them!
Sarah -
That was a great scene! All the sets were wonderful, but the Hall of Judgement was particularly effective. I loved that the Doctor gets to play the action hero, even if he does need the Didonians to save him in the end.
Harry -
What did you think of Koquillion's getup? It seemed terribly impractical, unless you just wanted to shuffle around freaking people out.
Sarah -
It’s a pretty violent costume for a people to whom violence is an alien concept.
Harry -
Could be worse. You could be the poor soul who had to haul themselves around in the Sandy costume. Poor Sandy!
Sarah -
Poor Sandy, indeed. The exciting watch-the-Doctor-and-Ian-try-not-to-fall-off-the-edge scene was a little less than exciting, no?
Harry -
When they did the cutback to the wide shot, I laughed out loud at the "dangerous" 5 foot drop to Sandy below. From the Slyther to Sandy, this is a bit of a weak patch for monsters.
I wish we had been keeping a count, but Barbara is becoming something of a killing machine. Keep the guns away from her!
Sarah -
How can she ever go back to the classroom?
And the Doctor, after telling Vicki she looks a mess, becomes appropriately solicitous of her. Vicki and Barbara even make up for the killing of Sandy. So, our new companion is invited aboard the TARDIS!
Harry -
I'm looking forward to Vicki's stories. She seems more sure of foot than Susan.
Sarah -
All is well until the TARDIS materializes on the edge of a cliff. Onward and downward to our next adventure!
Harry -
Overall, this was a neat little vignette. I can't rate it too highly because it didn't particularly blow me away, but at least Vicki's on board now. Onward! And downward!
Sarah -
Lasting image: Barbara shooting the gun.
Favourite moment: The Doctor confronting Koquillion/Bennett in the Hall of Judgement.
Best line: "My Dear, I’m so glad you’re feeling better.”
Rating: 7/10
Harry -
Lasting image: Koquillion's first appearance beside the TARDIS.
Favourite moment: The Doctor-Bennett showdown.
Best line: "You wiped out an entire civilisation just to save your own skin. You're insane!" The Doctor's disgust was palpable.
Rating: 6/10
Our marathon continues with Story #12 - The Romans...
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